Valve-grinding machine



oct. 27, 1925.

T. W. CLARKE VALVE GRINDING MACHINE Filed Ju y 14. 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet l oct. 27, 1925.

T. W. CLARKE VALVE GRI NDING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jul 14 1923 onzas Zut Clarke Oct. 27, 1925.

T. W. CLARKE VALVE GRINDING MACHINE Filed July 14, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 auf@ www oct. 27, 1925- T. w. CLARKE VALVE GRINDING MACHINE Filed July 14, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Oct. 27, 1925.

UNITED STATES THOMAS W. CLARKE, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

VALVE-GRINDING MACHINE.

Application filed July 14, 1923.

To @ZZ whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS W. CLARKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of IVashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Valve-Grinding Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for grinding the valves of internal combustion engines and has for its object the provision of a machine which will be automatic in operation and which will turn the valves alternately in opposite 'directions upon their seats', and intervals riferirsi/elves from til-@scans to prevent-l thje, iormation'lef"scratches extendi eaisfrheinvention' also) liasfritsebjec the t1 )revision of means' whereby the v a'lve turning members :may'be' veasily removed when desired so'asv to'adapt the' 'machine to operate -vup'onf'a. lgreater or less num'ber'of valvessimultaneously, 'and a still'fi'irther objectpi the invention is to provide means Wl'iere'bythe"valve-turning members will be yi'elda'blyll'ieldin their lowered positions and -held' in 'engagemeii't "with t-he'` respective valves ui'i'd'er any desired' pressure. Theinvention'also seeks to provide means wherei by the"directionl of' 'rotation of' the valves will beautomatically'reversed and the drivii'ig gearing 'a'r'ian'ged in' compact forni in such/position"relative to the working Jmem"` bers that' no interference willoccur between any oi thedrijvilng'par'ts and the work-performing 'parts Otherirfcidentalobjects of lthe invention will appearin 'the course of the following'description andthe invention r'esidf's'si incertain novel features 'which lwill be particularly pointed out in the elai'msitollowing thedesc'riptio'n. I

"TheI invention'is illustrated in the accompanying Vdrawings, in'which 'l "Figure lA is atront elevation, with parts iii section, *of* a valve-gri'ndi'ngA n'iachine'elibody/ing the invention; 'A`

is a plan view of the same; fiiig is an'eiidelevatiom' 4"Fig". 4 is a horizontal section through the driving and reversing n'iechan'ism; Fig 5 a detail 'perspective "View of one oi the brackets which support the' valvet'u'rning devices; i y l i 4Figst to 13 inclusive are'detail views 'of the members' of the driving and i reversing mechanism;

Serial No. 651,567.

Fig. 14 is a detail section on the line 1li-14 of Fig. 1.

In carrying out my present invention, I employ a table or frame l which may be of any suitable dimensions and form and is to be secured to the cylinder block of the engine by bolts 2 or similar devices inserted through the frame or table 1 into the cylin der block, and held out of Contact with the cylinder block by spacing sleeves 3 fitted around the bolts between the cylinder block and the frame, as will be readily understood upon reference to Fig. 3. Upon the front side of this frame or mainblock 1:,I seclure a' plurality 'I ot bracl'ts- 41 which",l as shown ino'st dearly' 'in Figs-'3 and A`5 concise oran intermediate 'back' plate j or upright nieni'ber ,51 through wh'ich'set boltsti'maybe inserted ito the'. frame' 1,' 'an'd'fforwardly projecting ar'ms7 extending from'the upperandlower ends of the back plate." The front endsfot the' arins' are notched oi"`1eces"s'ed,as shown at v8,'an'd' retaining plates 9 of mating'form are secured to the' froiit"ends"of'said arms', as clea'rly sl1own,"the valve-engaging and turning members 'being rotatably 'supported within the said notches@ and by the'said clamping plates 9, as will'bereadily'un'der# 'stoodl' It wi'll'thus be seen' t-lia'tithe device is adapted 'to act. 'upo-n 'any' engine 'in' which the 'cylinders 'arearrangedin a st'lraight'li'ne and itmaybe loperated' to'f'simultaneously grind any numberl of valves.I i I'The set'fbolts Gpermit'a'ny bracket to'be'removed'if' a re: arra'ngemeiit" of the"valvetu'rning` members i'sdesgirab-le 'or if 'it should be 'necessaryto re p'air or yre'n'ew'any of said members.

:The valve-turning devices eacn 'comprises a tubular casing or sleeve 10 provided upon its' exterior in 'vertically spaced Irelationi with grooved flanges ll with which thefarms 7 and 'the retaining plates "or barst) are engaged So'tha't, whilerthe said' 'casing will beflield'against vertical movement,y it may rotate "hoi'i"zontally abouti its owri v'vertical axis.` Thelowe'r end'of` the' 'casingi 10:'is closed and is provided with an angular; opening therethrough', Lwhile the upper en'dof thev casing is open' and has a' sprocket wheel '12' formed on 'or secured around 'the same. Fitted within the casing l() and extending through the ends of the' saine is a' valve'- turni'ng' spindle or bit '1B having a lhead Het its' lower end which is provided' with 'lugs 15V to engage corresponding `Arcesses formed in" the valve"\vlie'1e'by rotation or oscillation of the spindle or bit, w-hile the said lugs engage the recesses in the valve, will effect rotation or oscillation of the valve. The head 14 is flatsided to {i-t within the slitted lower end of the spindle and be secured by a bolt 14, as will be understood from Figs. 1 and 3. This construction permits heads of different detail configuration to be. interchangeably used accor-ding to the style of the particular valve to be ground. The upper portion of the spinello or bit is circular in cross section, as indicated at 16, while an intermediate portion of said spinle is of angular cross section, as shown at 17, whereby it may slidably engage an angu-lar openingr in the lower end of the casing 10 so that the rotation or oscillation of the casing will be imparted directly to the spindle or bit and vertical sliding movement of the bit will be permitted. Above and below the angular portion 17 of the s pindle, collars or abutments 18 and 19 are provided upon the spindle, the lower collar 19 resting upon the front forked end of a lever 2O so that when said lever is rocked, the drill or spindle will be raised. A spr-ing 21 is coiled around the circular portion 16 of the spindle within the casing 10 and between the abutment or collar 18 and an adjusting nut 22 fitted in the upper end of the casing. It will be readily understood that, by properly adjusting the nut 22, the tension of the spring may be regulated as desired so that the proper pressure will be exerted to hold the spindle or bit in engagement with the valve to be ground.

The valve-turning or oscillating members are duplicates in construction and arrangement f their parts and it will be understood that the description just given applies equally to all of said members. The sprockets 12 at the upper ends of the casings are all driven by a sprocket chain 23 which is disposed longitudinally of the frame 1 at the top of the same and has its front run disposed immediately over the front edge of the frame so that it will mesh with all the sprockets 12, as will be readily understood upon reference to Fig. 2 of the drawings. The bights or end portions of the sprocket chain .are trained around sprockets 24 and 25 and the front run of the chain is held to the sprockets 12 by a guide rail 26 sscured upon the top of the frame 1 by brackets or lugs 27 of any convenientconstruction. The rear run of the chain is likewise guided and held against flexing by parallel guide rails 28 secured upon the top of the frame 1 by brackets 29 corre spending to the brackets 27, as will be read ily understood. T he sprocket 24 is mounted in a bearing bracket. il() which is preferably shaped in plan view and is provided with slots 31 at the ends of its Stm and its head through which bolts 32 are inserted into the top of the frame to secure the bracket in place. This arrangement permits the bearing bracket to be shifted longitudinally of the frame so as to compensate for wear in the sprocket chain 23 and maintain the same in a taut condition at all times. The driving sprocket is mounted within a bearing bracket 33 fixed upon the top of the frame 1 at the end thereof distant from the bearing bracket 30, and upon the shaft 34 of the said sprocket 25 is secured a beveled gear 35 with which meshes a beveled gear 36 on the front end of a transmission shaft 37 mounted in suitable bearing brackets upon the frame and arranged in rear of the beveled gears 35 and 36, as will be readily understood. Upon the rear end of the shaft 37 is a beveled gear 38 which meshes with a beveled 4gear 39 secured upon .a driving shaft 40. The shaft 40 is disposed at a right angle to the shaft 37, as shown most clearly in Fig. 2, and is .driven preferably b y an `electric motor 41 through an automatic reversing system of gearing which will now proceed to describe. The motor 41 is preferably an electric motor as such a motor is compact in form and may be placed directly upon the frame 1 as illustrated.

The motor shaft `42 extends through a bearing bracket 43, secured upon the frame 1, and carries a pinion 44 upon its outer end which meshes with a gear 45 upon a shaft 46 which is disposed in axial alinement with the shaft 40, as shown most clearly in Fig. 4, and is equipped at its outer end with a central socket 47 receiving the inner endiof the said shaft 4.0. At the outer side of the gear 45, a disc 48 is slidably Vfitted upon the shaft 4G but is constrained to rotate therewith and from the outer face of 'the said disc 48 pins 49 project, the said pins bei-ng equipped at their outer ends with small rollers, indicated at 50, playing lin cam grooves 51 formed in the .adjacent opposed face of a stationary standard or support 52. Secured to the outer face of Athe disc 48 and extending through the support 52 around the shaft 46 is a coupling sleeve 53, said sleeve being provided with annular flanges at its opposite ends and having one of said flanges disposed against and secured to the outer face of the disc 48 and 'the other of said flanges fitting in an annular recess in the outer face of a second disc 54 through the center of which the sleeve extends, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. An end-thrust bearing may be provided within the recess, as indicated at 77, and a bushing 78 of Babbitt or other metal may be disposed between the shaft 4G and the sleeve 53. The'discs 48 and are disposed at opposite sides of the support 52 and the disc 54 is provided with lugs 55 which are adapted to engage recesses or sockets 56 in the adjacent opposed face of the support 52, as will be readily understood. In its face remote from the support 52, the disc 54 is provided with a plurality of sockets or recesses 57 and these sockets are adapted to be engaged by pins 58 at one end of a gear-carrying frame, said frame consisting of a hub or sleeve 59 fitted about the shaft 46 and heads 60 and 6l at the ends of the said hub. The pins 58 project from the head 60, as clearly shown, at the edge thereof, While from the outer face of the head 6l, but spaced radially inward from the edge thereof, similar pins 62 project. The disc 54 is further provided in its outer face, concentric with the sockets 57 but disposed upon a shorter radius, with an annular series of sockets or recesses 63 which are adapted to be engaged by the pins or lugs 64 upon a locking disc 65 which is keyed upon the shaft 46 between the disc 54 and the head of the gear-carrying frame. The recesses or sockets 56 and 63 are arrangedV ini continuous circular series soithat there ,willibeno yslipping.interval in. which. the dogs 55 orl 64 seek. yto engage the ref speetiive. sockets. andthe .dogs are. preferably Wedge-shaped Iso .that .theyi .will readilyj engage .thel sockets.. llhe. dogs are. .preferably removable and held.by.set screws so Vthat they .mayi .be easily.renewedwhen broken or worn lout. .Upon; each pin. (lof. the. gearcarryingframe ismounted a pinion66 which is adapted to rotateiat times-about. its respectivepm i62. as vanaivis @and each pin l66 meshes with a gear 67 formed upon-on secured ou, thefouter end fof. the shaft46 about the,socket..47..which,.receiyes the. inner, end of the shaft40..Theseveralpinions 66 and the head 6l..as wellas the hub 59 are housed hyand within: an. .internal .gear 68,. the .intenior qfawhich .isishaped tto fit aroundthe hub59 andthe ,head 61', as will be readily understood on. .reference to Fig. 4. The outer .end of the internal .gear (58 .iselosed by a.cover plate oriiange 69 whieh maydie 7 formed integral with the shaft 4() or maybe rigidly united .therewith many preferred manner... .().bvio.usly, thev shaft 4U and. the cover .plate orflange .69 will constitute. a single. unitand .will revolve .togetherd ,A cam shaft( n7() is suitably journaled withinltheiframe l and extends from .end to..en(l;tl1ereof Ibeing equipped witha cam' 7l in therventieal .plane oif. each valve-turningimember .and also; equipped with a` gear l 'aneshingnvth anddriven .by the. gear 45 upon itheshafeAG. Each lever Qt)..is.fu,l. cimmed.intermediate its ends upon a bracket 73.011 thiefunder hf. the trame4 Land at itsa'ear end carries. an upstandiug arm. 74 upo,nthe upperiend of .which ridesbnev of the cams 7l. .'llhe high part of. the cam dur-y ing .the ,notation .of Athe shaft. iwill. depress theirear endoffthe` respective lever 2t). and thereby raise the front .fend thereof so .that

' the valveengaging; head.. 14, will ,be lifted and the valve will be raised from its seat. As the high part of the cani clears the upstanding arm 74, the spring 21 will expand so as to return the head 14 to its lowest position. The front forked end of the lever is hinged, as at 76, so that it may be raised to permit removal of the valve out of its seat without dismantling the entire machine. The hinge may be of any form which will prevent dropping of the fork.

Upon reference to Fig. 4, it will be noted that the locking disc is fixed to the shaft 46, while the disc 48 is constrained to rotate therewith but may slide longitudinally thereon, a spring 75 holding the disc 48 toward the bracket or support 52. lith the parts arranged as shown in Fig. 4, therefore, the disc 54, being engaged by the locking disc 65, Will be compelled to rotate with the shaft 46 and the gear-carrying frame will, consequently, also rotate with said shaft so that: .the pinionsdwill, not, rotate about their respective. but will.. merely.

couplngstozause.tlieinterglalgear l t rotate in, the salue.' direction., as; the. aisGiT., and .the rotation. of ftlieinttrnalgear 8. will be. transmitted through themmulier. 60de. the shaft 40 and transmitted from said shaft through .the described gearing t0. ,the .Several valveoscillating members. JThe .piiis, 4S) upon the disc. 48travel in thetam grooves 5lv upon the stationary. standard er .support 52 and will .betheleby Qaiisedto rideinto the ,plane ofthe inner face of saidstandard, the. result being, that the .659.48 will be shifted longitudinally ,inwardlyI upon lthe shaft 46 and,tli ro.ugh `'thecoupling Sleeve 53willdraw the dise 54`out engagement with lthe loekingdisc 65. and ntoellgaee merit witlrthe support 52. Tl1ed$05will thus he held against further rotationevitli the shaft, 46 and the coupling willturn freely ywithin the said disc,54.b ,The length of,l ,the pi ne` .0r lugs i is ,such that they, ,will at all times be in engagement ,with the socket 57 in the dise 54 so that, when the said, dise is brought into engagement kwithl the support 52,-and ,held againstturnjng as justde-` scrihed, the. geawcarrying .frame including ltheheads 60 and, 6l vand the hub? will ,be also held againstturning Vwith the shaft 46. The pinioins 66, will thenhbe set in; ,motion thrqughftheir engagement with thegear, and; .will rotateiabout .their yrespective, ,axles andcause thel internal gearGBto rotate in a direction .the reverseofthe direction ofrotaf tion of, the said .gear .67. 'lfheshaft4 4t! and the parts driventherebywill thus ,be autoe inatically reversed sof. that. the direction mf rotationor.Oscillation ofi the valves will be reversed. {Upon reference tok Eig. .6,5 it will be noted .that thecam .grooves 5l are ,about twice. as, hong as. the intervening.munten rupted portions ,of lthe face .of .the member yso that, rwhile the rollers 450 are 1riding in l lfU the grooves, the valves Will be rotated in one direction through two-thirds of a complete revolution and while the rollers are running upon the uninterrupted portion of the face of the standard or support the valves will be turned one-third of a complete revolution in the opposite direction.

It will be readily seen from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, that I have provided a very compact machine which will operate automatically to grind the valves of internal combustion engines and which will turn the valves alternately in opposite directions and at intervals will permit the valves to rise from their seats so as to avoid the formation of scratches extending entirely around the valves and their seats, the rising action being timed to occur simultaneously with the reversal of the direction of rotation.` The machine is capable of use upon a wide rang-e of engines for grinding the valves without necessitating any material change in its construction or operation and the arrangement of its parts is such that it is not apt to get out of order and may be used for a long period without requiring renewal of any parts.

Having thus described 'the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a valve-grinding machine, the combination of a supporting frame, a plurality of valve-engaging and turning member s mounted upon the frame for vertical sliding movement and for rotation in a horizontal plane, means for rotating said members, means for yieldably holding said members in their lower positions, a cam shaft mounted in the frame, means for rotating said cam shaft, a plurality of levers fulcrumed upon the frame intermediate their ends and each provided at its front end with a fork engaging and supporting one of said. valve-engaging members, and pusher arms at the rear ends of the levers engaging the cam shaft.

2. In a valve-grinding mahine, the combination of a supporting frame, a plurality of tubular casings mounted upon the frame for oscillatory movement, means actin-g upon the upper ends of said casings to oscillate the same, the lower ends of said casings being closed and having angular openings therethrough, spindles mounted Within the casings and having angular portions eX- tending through the angular openings in the lower ends of the casings, means carried by the lower ends of said spindles to engage the valves to be ground, abutments on the spindles above and below the angular portions thereof, a vertically movable support for each spindle engaging under the lower abutment thereon, means for vibrating said support at intervals, a spring coiled around the spindle within the casing and bearing Leashes upon the upper abutment thereon, and atension nut fitted in the upper end of the casing and bearing upon said spring.

3. In a valve-grinding machine, the combination of a supporting frame, a plurality of valve-engaging and turning members mounted on the frame, a motor on the frame in rear of said members, a shaft driven by said motor, a second shaft in axial alinement with the first-mentioned shaft, gearing connecting the second shaft with the valve-engaging and turning members, and gearing connecting the axially alined shafts whereby to canse the same to notate simultaneously and alternately in the same and opposite directions.

4. In a valve-grinding machine, the combination of a supporting frame, a plurality of valve-engaging and turning members mounted on the frame, a motor-driven shaft mounted on the frame in rear of the said members, a second shaft axially alined with the motor-driven shaft and operatively connected with the valve-engaging and turning members, a pinion on the motor-driven shaft, an internal gear carried by the second shaft, a frame mounted upon the motordriven shaft, a plurality of pinions carried by said frame and meshing with the pinion on said shaft and with the internal gear carried by the second shaft, and means for alternately locking said frame to the motordriven shaft and releasing said frame from said shaft. h

5. In a valve-grinding machine, the combination of a supporting frame, a plurality of valve-engaging and turning members mounted on said frame, a motor-driven shaft mounted on'the frame in rear of said members, .a second shaft alined axially with the motor-driven shaft, operative connections between the second shaft and the valveengaging and turning members, a stationary support through which the motor-driven shaft passes provided with a plurality of cam grooves in one face, a disc mounted upon the motor-driven shaft to rotate therewith and slidable longitudinally thereof, a plurality of projections on said disc running in the cam grooves on said stationary support, a sewnd disc encircling the shaft at the opposite side of said support, a locking disc secured to the shaft and adapted to engage said second disc, a sleeve coupling the first-mentioned disc and the secondmentioned disc whereby the second-mentioned disc may be caused to engage the stationary support at intervals, said secondmentioned disc being provided with sockets in its face remote from said support, a pinion carried by the motor-driven shaft, a frame encircling the said shaft and provided at one end with lugs engaging the sockets in the second-mentioned disc, pinions carried by the opposite end of said frame and meshing with the pinion on the shaft, and an internal gear carried by the second shaft and meshing with the pinions on said frame.

6. In a valve-grinding machine, the conlbination of a supporting frame, a plurality of valve-engaging and turning members mounted on the frame, a motor-driven shaft mounted on the frame in rear of the said members, a second shaft axially alined with the motor-driven shaft and operatively connected with the valve-engaging and turning members, a pinion on the motor-driven shaft, an internal gear carried by the second shaft, a frame mounted upon the motordriven shaft, a plurality of pinions carried by said frame and meshing with the pinion on said shaft and with the internal gear carried by the second shaft, means for alternately locking said frame to the motordriven shaft and releasing said frame from said shaft, and means for locking the frame against rotation when released from the shaft.

7. In a valve-grinding machine, the combination of a supporting frame, a plurality of valve-engaging and turning members mounted on said frame, a motor-driven shaft mounted on the frame in rear of said members, a second shaft alined axially with the motor-driven shaft, operative connections between the second shaft and the valve-engaging and turning members, a stationary support through which the motor-driven shaft passes provided with a plurality of cam grooves in one face, a disc mounted upon the motor-driven shaft to rotate therewith and slidable longitudinally thereof, a plurality of projections on said disc running in the cani grooves on the stationary support, a second dist` encircling the shaft at the ol'ipositc side of said support, a locking disc secured to the shaft and adapted to engage said second disc, a sleeve coupling the first-mentioned disc and the second-inentioned disc whereby the second-mentioned disc may be caused to engage the stationary support at intervals, said secondementioned disc being provided with sockets in its face remote from said support, a frame encircling the motor-driven shaft and provided at one end with lugs engaging the sockets in the second-mentioned disc, and gearing carried by said frame and the alined shafts whereby the second shaft will be driven by the motor-driven shaft alternately in opposite directions.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

THOMAS W. CLARKE. [L. s] 

